


Always

by Dearrendlessly



Category: National Football League RPF, New England Patriots - Fandom
Genre: American Football, Epic Bromance, Fluff and Angst, Friendship/Love, Hurt/Comfort
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-02
Updated: 2016-01-02
Packaged: 2018-05-11 05:01:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 910
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5614837
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dearrendlessly/pseuds/Dearrendlessly
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The New England Patriots are undefeated through the first half of the 2015-2016 season. In Week 10, everything changes. Julian Edelman, the team's top receiver, goes down with a broken foot. Tom is understandably gutted. Author is terrible at summaries.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Always

_**Week 10 @ The New York Giants - 3RD & 4 – Bottom of Q1** _

Julian lines up in the slot. Tom can feel the wide receiver’s eyes fixed on him as he shouts out the play call. The ball is snapped, Julian runs forward and cuts away from a defender as he catches the ball. With a spin move, he shakes him off and progresses forward. Jasper Brinkley, the Giant’s linebacker breaks away from the line of scrimmage to assist in the tackle. He wraps an arm around Julian’s torso and rolls him down onto the turf. It’s a gain of 12 yards, but a loss of something far more crucial. Tom watches as Julian shoots up from the ground, like he always does, only to reach back down for his left foot with a grimace marring his features. As a medical examiner brings him to the sidelines, Julian’s throws his helmet to the ground in frustration. There isn’t much Tom can do but watch. It disrupts his focus and the drive ends up leading in a 31-yard field goal. By the time he approaches the sidelines, Julian has been ushered off the field and into the locker room for further testing. His status, Tom overhears, is ruled as questionable to return.

After half time it’s downgraded to out. Despite knowing this, his eyes still track the field for number 11 as he dances around in the pocket, seeking out a target. The space to the right of him on the bench remains vacant, and not one player makes the daring move to claim it. With his elbows resting on his knees, hands folded together, Tom’s gaze remains downcast while defense runs the field.

Gostkowski sinks a field goal to seal their victory before the game ends. Their undefeated status remains. The coaching staff tells Tom as the team files into the locker room that Julian has most likely suffered a broken foot and that his status for the rest of the season remains unknown. After losing Lewis, there’s a sinking feeling in the pit of his abdomen that tells him their road to the Superbowl has hit quite a speed bump moving forward. There’s something else, an unidentifiable emotion that Tom pushes to the side and ignores. Concern. Not for only the season, but for Julian, who has become one of his most reliable targets since the departure of Wes Welker.

_**Week 4 @ The Dallas Cowboys – Bottom of the 4Q** _

__  
The score is 30 to 6, Patriots. They’ve come away with their fourth victory of the season, and what a beautiful one it was at that. Nearly every phase of the game was executed perfectly, and the team’s confidence was high. Both Julian and Tom sit beside one another, as they always do.

__

_“You’re my best receiver.” Tom blurts out. The stadium noise almost drowns out the praise._

_“What?” Julian replies._

_“You’re my best receiver.” Tom repeats, firmer this time around, with confidence woven into his words. Gazes locked, silence falls between them. There’s a moment where Julian’s face glows, the corners of his lips hitching upwards into that boyish grin of his but he catches himself._

_“This year.” Julian retorts and looks out onto the field. Sensing that the receiver thinks his comment was mere teasing; Tom’s expression goes serious as he leans in._

_“Always.”  
_

\-----

As the rest of the locker room explodes with excitement over a close game and following win, Tom remains quiet one of the benches with a towel draped over his head. With so many uncertainties and questions swimming in his head, he can’t concentrate, nor can he put on a happy façade for the team. Julian doesn’t fly with the team home the following morning. Instead, he was on a plane back to Boston by the second half of the game with an appointment for surgery that Monday morning at Mass General. The coaching staff knows how crucial of a loss this is. Belichick expresses that to him, though subtle. For the most part, Julian sleeps. And sleeps. And sleeps. Most of Tom’s texts go unanswered for extended periods of time. His concern mounts, but he remains positive. At this point he reminds himself that this is all he can do. The press, as expected, swarms the podium during his Monday press conference for answers on his opinion of losing Julian for what is reported as being possibly 6-8 weeks. The rest of the regular season. Both mentally and physically, he is drained and it shows. On WEEI radio later that day, they comment on his demeanor. 

“I think I was pretty tired because it was emotional, and I was certainly bummed to hear about Julian just because of how great of a player he is and I feel just terrible for him.” Brady answers. “I was happy, excited that we won. I wish it didn’t come down to what it had to but that’s what happens.” 

When asked about Danny stepping up to fill the void Julian’s injury left he replies with, “Danny’s role has been very different from what Julian has been for us, so I think they’re different types of players. Certainly, Julian has been incredible for us. Incredible. Danny had a great year this year and really continued from what he finished last year.”

For the following week after the win, Tom’s is questioned countless times about his opinion on losing Julian. Each time he wishes that the outcome wasn’t so severe.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks to everyone who has been so patient with me. This is my first public writing in years. This will be on a week by week basis story wise, I will update as much as I can. Goal is it to be completed before playoffs. This is unbeta-ed.
> 
> Tom's comments are word for word what he said post injury. The interview can be found [here](http://nesn.com/2015/11/tom-brady-i-just-feel-terrible-for-julian-edelman-after-wideouts-injury/).


End file.
